Military Music And Its Story - online book

The Rise & Development Of Military Music

an end to the war pipes, and the last glimpse we have of them, although in an alien clime, is with the Irish Brigade at Fontenoy.

The bagpipe seems to have finally disappeared in England about the same time, being gradually ousted from its position as an accompaniment to the drum by an instrument that remains to this day a favourite with marching regiments. As late as 1674 a warrant is issued for the appointment of one Peter Vanhausen, to instruct a man in each company of the King's Regi­ment of Foot Guards the use of the pipe. But the coup de grace was not far distant. Sir James Turner says in "Pallas Armata" (1683): ''In some places a piper is allowed to each company :5 the Germans have him, and I look upon their pipe as a warlike instru­ment. The bagpipe is good enough musick for them who love it; but sure it is not so good as the Almain Whistle (the fife). With us any captain may keep a piper in his company, and maintain him too, for no pay is allowed him, perhaps just as much as he deserveth."

The introduction of the bagpipe into Scotland dates only from the time of its disuse in England. Across the Tweed they claim that the instrument was used at Bannockburn. But it appears that the earliest mention of the bagpipe as forming part of the military music

'In the infantry reorganised by Gustavua Adolphus, each company was allotted three pipers and three drummers.— Fortescue, " History of British Army."